Street



No. 623,202. Patented Apr. I8, |899.

No. 623,202. Patented Apr. la, |399. F. H. cHEYNF..

STATION INDICATOR.

(Applicatian filed July 11, 199s.)

-3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

I IIIn.

A TTOHNEY.

(No Model.)

Patented Apr. I8, i899.

F. H. CHEYNE.

STATIUN INDICATOR.

(Ap'pucation med :my 11, 189s.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

IINTTED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

FREDERICK H. OI-IEYNE, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNORY TO CI-IEYNE da GARIWIAN, OE SAME PLACE.

STATION-INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part f Letters Patent NO. 623,202, dated April I8, 18.99.

Application iled July 1l, 1898. Serial No. 685,648. KNO model.)

To ,Z whom, it 77u03/ concern.-

Beit known that I, FREDERICK H. CHEYNE, a citizen of the-United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a new-and useful Station-Indicator, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in street or station indicators.4

The object of my invention is to produce a device of the class described which shall be accurate and positive in its action.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a front elevation thereof with the cover removed. Fig. 2 is' a section on line 2 2 of Eig. 3, all but one of the curtains being removed. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the right-hand end. Eig. 4is a similar view, one of the main-shaft bearings having been reremoved and the gearing thrown into the nonoperating position. Fig. 5 is a similar view, the drum and connected gear having been removed. Eig. 6 is an elevation of the lefthand end. Fig. 7 is a vertical -section of a car, showing the means for driving the indicator. Fig. 8 is a detail of the driving means. Fig. 9 is a detail from theunder side of a portion of the indicator. Eig. 10 is asection on line 10 10 of Fig. 2. Fig. 11 is a sect-ion on line 11 11 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, 14 indicates a base-castin g provided at each end with a pair of standards 15 and 16, inthe upper edge of which, near the outer ends thereof, are formed the open .bearing-slots 17 and 18, respectively. Slots 17 and 18 are adapted to receive the opposite ends of a reel-shaft 19, the right-hand end of which eX tends considerably beyond the standard 15. The open upper ends of the slots 17 and 18 are closed by lugs 2O and 21, respectively, Which are carried by swinging arms 22 and 23, which arms are pivoted at 24 and 25, respectively, upon the base-casting. Arms 22 and 23 are held in position by means of spring-catches 22 and 23', respectively. Secured to shaft 19, just inside the standard 15, is a gear 26, which is provided on its inner face near the periphery With a series of axial holes 27, and secured to the opposite end of shaft 19, just inside the standard 16, l

is a head 28, provided on its inner face near the periphery with a similar series of axial holes 29. The holes 27 and 29 are arranged to receive the ends of a series of curtain-rods 30, Which are HeXible and by bending may be sprung into said holes. Secured to each of rods 30 is one end of a curtain 31, the opposite end of which is free and provided with a stiifening rod or member 32. In order to form a support for the middles of the rods 30 and 32, I secure to the middle of shaft 19 a head 33.

The arms 22 and 23 are provided with portions 34 and 35, respectively, which extend beyond the peripheries of the gear 26 and head 28, and said extended portions are rigidly connected by means of a bar 36. Rotatably mounted in the portion 34 of the arm 22 is one end of a shaft 37, the opposite end of which is rotatably supported by means of a bearingbraoket 38, which is adjustable upon the bar 36 by means of the clamping-screws 39. Secured to shaft 37 in position to mesh with the gear 26 is a pinion 40, and secured to the opposite end ofsaid shaft, immediately above the periphery of the head 33, isa second pinion 41, the teeth of which are adapted to engage the rods 32, carried by the free ends of the curtains 31. Revolubly mounted upon the extended end of shaft 19, outside of the standard 15, isan eccentric 42, upon the inner end of which is rotatably mounted a gear 43. Revolubly mounted upon eccentric 42, outside of gear 43, is a drum 44, provided on its periphery With a spiral track 45. Gear 43 and drum 44 are revolubly connected by Vmeans of a spring-pawl 46, carried by the gear and adapted to engage at its free end with the Walls vof a single groove 47, formed in the inner periphery of the drum.- By this means the gear 43 is free to move in one direction Without moving the drum.

Mounted in suitable bearings beneath the drum 44 is a shaft 48,'which is provided at one end With a pinion 49, adapted to mesh With the gear 26. Mounted upon shaft 48, so as to rotate said shaft, but also so as to be longitudinally movable thereon, is a trip-gear 50, the teeth of Which are adapted to normally lie IOO within the track 45 of the drum 44. A springarm 5l is provided to normally move the tripgear 50 to the right upon the shaft 48.

Mounted in suitable bearings on the basecasting is a worm 52, which is adapted to en-` gage and drive the gear43, and secured to said worm is a shaft 53, the end of which is connected by means of shaft-sections 54 and universal joints 55 with a suitable source of power.

In order to drop the curtains 3l at the proper time, the track 45 is closed at intervals by plugs 56, which are so placed in the said track as to cause a partial revolution of the tripgear just prior to the time of arrival of the car at a station.

It will be readily understood that any desired means may be used to drive the shaft 53; but in order that said shaft may be driven accurately I provide the following mechanism: Secured to some suitable portion of the frame ot' the car-truck is a bracket 57, to which is pivoted one end of an arm 58. On the free end of arm 58 is journaled a wheel 59, which is adapted to trail upon the track 60. Secured to the shaft of wheel 5S) is a worm 6l, which meshes with a worm-gear 62, which is secured to one'end of a shaft 63, which, in turn, is connected to one of the shaft-sections 54 by one ofthe universal joints 55. Vorm-gear 62 is supported in a casing 63', carried upon the shaft of the wheel 59 and surrounding the worm 6l.

The entire curtain-operating mechanism is surrounded by a suitable covering or casing 64, and in order to throw the gear 43 out of engagement with the worm 52, at the same time throwing drum 44 away from the tripgear 50, I provide an arm 65, thev inner end of which is secured to the eccentric 42 and the outer end of which extends through a slot in the casing. In order to prevent the gear` 43 from crowding the worm 52, I provide a stop 66, which projects from the arm 22. The stop 66 engages the arm 65 near its inner end, and in order to lock the arm against accidental displacement the outer end thereof is sprung past a stop 67, carried by the extension 34 of the arm 22.

In order to facilitate an exchange of drums 44, the outer end of shaft 19 is supported in a bearing formed in the end of a standard 68, which is provided with a foot adapted to enter between the adjacent beveled faces of a pair of lugs 69, mounted onthe base-casting. In order to hold the standard 68 in position, I mount a spring-catch 70 between the two lugs 69. By this means the standard 68 may be quickly removed and the drum 44 slipped from the eccentric 42.

The back of each curtain is marked with the name of a station and the front-0l. e., that portion which is exposed when the curtain has dropped-is covered with any desired advertisement. p

lThe operation is as follows: The curtains 3l are folded back upon themselves in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of theshaft 19 and the teeth of pinion 4l are caused to engage the ends 32 of some of said curtains, as clearly shown in Figll.' The track 45 of dru n1 44 has previously been prepared by placing as 'many plugs 56 therein as there are stations or streets on the run, the distances between said plugs being determined by the relative amount of reduction between the wheel 59 and the gear 43, this reduction being preferably sufficient to allow a round-trip to be laid o on the drum. The gear 43 is then thrown into engagement with the worm 52 and the shaft 53 connected, as described, to the wheel 59, which is allowed to rest upon the track 60. As the car advances, th'e movement of wheel 59 along track 60, through the medium of gears 6l 62, shaft-sections 54, and joints 55, rotates shaft 53,which through worm 52 causes the gear 43 to rot-ate. The rotation of gear 43 causes, through pawl 46, a similar rotation of the drum 44. As drum 44 rotates, the tripgear 50 is advanced without rotation along its shaft 48 by the spiral track 45 until as the car nears a station one of the plugs 56 is brought into engagement with the trip-gear 50 and causes a partial rotation thereof. The partial rotation of the gear 50 causes a partial rotation of pinion 4f) and a similar partial rotation of the gear 26 and pinions 40 and 41. The rotation of the gear 26 also causes an advancement of the curtains 3l, and this advancement is sufficient to withdraw the iirst curtain end 32 from under the teeth of pinion 4l, releasing the curtain and allowing it to drop down, thus exposing the station-indicating face of the succeeding curtain and at the same time exposing the advertising-face of the first curtain. This action is repeateduntil the end of the run is reached. The operator then throws lever 65 down into the position shown in Fig. 4, thus throwing the gear 43 out of engagement with the worm 52 and also withdrawing the drum 44 from engagement with the trip-gear 50. The said tripgear is immediately and automatically returned to the right-hand end of shaft 4S by the spring-arm 5l. The operator turns drum 44 to its initial position and then throws arm 65 back to its normal position.

,In this class of indicators considerable difficulty has heretofore been experienced ow ing to the occasional backward movement of the car. In the present construction this difficulty is overcome by means of the pawl 46. It will be noticed that this pawl engages the drum 44 at only one point. The car may be backed thro ugh a considerable distance therefore and then brought -forward again to the original position before the drum 44 will be again moved, the said drum remaining stationary through such Amovement of the car, but being again .advanced at the proper time.

In order to change the drum 44, the operator swings arm 65 down into the position shown in Fig. 4. The free end of catch 'Ois then depressed and the standard 68 removed IOO IIO

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from between thelugs 69. Drum 44 may then be slipped from the eccentric 42 and another drum putin place. By releasing the catches 22 and 23 the arms 22 and 23 may be thrown back and the shaft lf), together with all the parts mounted thereon, may be quickly removed.

In using the device upon rail road-cars where the distances traveled over are great the wheel 59 maybe caused to engage one of the axles, thus materially reducing the speed of the wheel 59 and the consequent movement of the drum 44.

I claim as my invention-'- l. In a station-indicator, the combination with a reel, of a series of curtains each secured at one end to said reel, means for rotating said reel, and a pinion arranged to engage in succession the free ends of said curtains, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a station-indicator, the combination with a reel, or" a series of curtains each secured at one end to said reel, means for rol tating said reel, a pinion arranged to engageA in succession the free ends of said curtains, and means for positively moving said pinion at the same peripheral speed as the reel, for the purpose set forth.

3. In 'a station-indicator thel combination with a reel, of a series of curtains each secured at one end to said reel, a gear carried by said reel, a pinion meshing with said gear, a shaft secured to said pinion, a second pinion secured to the shaft in position to engage in succession the free ends of the curtains, and means for driving the first gear, for the purpose set forth. t

4. In a station-indicator, the combination with an indicator, of a rotatable drum having an interrupted spiral track thereon, means for rotating said drum, and intermediate connecting mechanism between said drum and indicator whereby a continuous rotation of said drum will cause an intermittent action of the indicator.

5. In a station-indicator, the combination with a rotatable indicator, of a rotatable drum having an interrupted spiral track thereon, means for rotating said drum, and intermediate connecting. mechanism between said drum and indicator whereby a rotation of the drum will cause an intermittent partial rotation of the indicator.

6. In a station-indicator, the combination with a reel, ot' a series of curtains secured at one end to said reel, means for successively releasing the free ends of said curtains, a rotatable drum having an interrupted spiral track thereon, means for rotating said drum, and intermediate connecting mechanism between said drum and reel whereby a rotation of the drum will cause an intermittent partial rotation of the reel.

7. In a station-indicator, the combination with a reel, of a series of curtains secured at one end to said reel, a pinion arranged to successively engage the free ends of said curtains, means for driving said pinion, a rotatable drum having an interrupted spiral track thereon, means for rotating said drum, and intermediate connecting mechanism between said drum and reel whereby a rotation of the drum will cause an intermittent partial rotation of the reel and pinion, for the purpose set forth.

8. In a station-indicator, the combination with a reel, 'of a series of curtains secured at one end to said reel, means for successively releasing the free ends of said curtains, a rotatable drum having an interrupted spiral track thereon, a trip-gear adapted to engage said track, a shaft upon which said gearis mounted so as to rotate said shaft but longitudinally movable thereon, and intermediate gearing between said shaft and the reel whereby the rotation of the drum will cause an intermittent partial rotation of the reel.

9. In a station-indicator, the combination with a reel, of a series of curtains secured at one end to said reel, a pinion arranged to successively engage the free ends of said curtains, means for driving said pinion, a rotatable drum having an interrupted spiral track thereon, a trip-gear adapted to engage said track, a shaft upon which said gear is mounted so as to rotate saidl shaft but longitudi nally movable thereon, and intermediate gearing between said shaft and the reel whereby a rotation of the drum will cause an intermittent partial rotation of the reel, substantially as described.

l0. In a station-indicator, the combination with an indicator, of a gear, means tor rotating said gear by the movement of a car, a drum having an interrupted track thereon, coactin g means carried by the drum and gear whereby the gear may be reversed for nearly one revolution and then returned to its original position without causing any movement of the drum, and intermediate connecting means between the drum and indicator, for the purpose set forth.

11. In a station-indicator, the combination with the reel-shaft, of a series of curtains each secured at one end to said shaft, '1n eans for successively releasing the free ends of said curtains, an eccentric mounted on said shaft, a gear mounted on said eccentric, a drum also mounted on the eccentric and connected to said gear, an interrupted spiral track carried by the drum, a tripgear mounted so as to engage said track, intermediate connecting means betweenA the said gear and the reel- IOO IIO

shaft, means for swinging the eccentric about an interrupted spiral track carried by said drum, a trip-gear arranged to engage said track, and intermediate gearing between said trip-gear and the reel-shaft gear,substantially as described.

13. In a station-indicator, the combination with the reel and a series of curtains each secured at one end to said reel, means for successively releasing the free ends of said eurtains, a rotatable drum carrying means for intermittently operating the reel, and means for rotating the drum, the said means consisting of a Wheel adapted to rest upon the track of a ear and intermediate connections between said wheel and drum, substantially a described. Y

14. In a station-indicator having a part arranged to be continuously rotated during the movement of the vehicle, means for driving said indicator, the said means consisting of the arm 58, means for pivotallyrsecuring one end of said arm to a car, a wheel carried at the free end of said arm, a shaft to which a shaft of the indicator may be connected, and intermediate gearing between said first shaft and the wheel, the arrangement being such that said wheel will engage the track and be continuously in engagement therewith, substantially as described.

means for driving said pinion, the arrangement being such that the pinion may be thrown out of engagement with the curtains by swinging the arms upon their pivots, sub-A stantially as described. I

16. In an indicator, the combination with a suitable base, of a pair of uprights carried by said base and adapted to support the ends of a reel-shaft, a gear carried by said shaft,

-a series of curtains each secured at one end to said shaft, a pair of arms pivoted upon the base, one near each end of the reel-shaft, a bar connecting said arms, a shaft having one end rotatably mounted in one of said arms, a pinion secured to said shaft in position to mesh with the reel-shaft gear, a shaft secured to said pinion, a second pinion secured to said shaft in position to engage the free ends of the curtains, and a bracket secured to the bar in position to forma bearing for the other end of said shaft, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

FREDERICK H. CHEYN E.

. Witnesses:

ARTHUR M. Hoon,

FRANK A. FAHLE. 

